Guía sobre viento y humo

Capítulo 28

"..."

Leng Er... this is all there is to your life! There's no hope for you!

Queyue was almost certain that Zhou Shao had indeed delivered the message to Qingzun Tower. However, whether it reached Jun Xiaoling or was intercepted by Jun Yuqing was still unknown. While there had been no news from the people Zhou Shao had sent into Qingzun Tower, new assassins had been dispatched.

The guards that Leng Yu had requested were silently taken down in the darkness. The newcomers quietly searched each room, and soon found Queyue's bedroom in this small villa. They quietly opened the window, and before the man could even land on the floor inside, a rope suddenly flew over, looped around his neck, and yanked him out again. There was no scream, and all was quiet.

If the body of the guard hadn't been discovered at dawn, the bloodshed that occurred that night would likely have remained unknown to anyone.

The other young masters who remained were terrified, their faces pale. Leng Yu frowned as he looked at the corpses—if the assassins had come, why hadn't anything happened? Did they think those people hadn't found Duan Jin? But the marks outside Duan Jin's window clearly indicated otherwise.

Could someone have intercepted the assassin? Who could it be? If such a person exists, why doesn't he/she show himself/herself?

Leng Yu looked at Que Yue, who was also slightly puzzled, but quickly remembered the figure that had appeared outside her room before.

She had initially thought it was someone arranged by Leng Yu or Zhou Shao, but neither of them knew anything about it. Now that she thought about it, Leng Yu certainly didn't have such good lightness skills, and if it were Zhou Shao, why would he remain silent like this?

“This person doesn’t seem to be our enemy, but why won’t he show himself? His unknown identity is always unsettling. Now that the assassin has come, we can’t leave Duan Jin alone—” Leng Yu grabbed Que Yue’s wrist, “I’ll move into your room temporarily. Until this is all over, we’ll share a room!”

Queyue paused, slightly taken aback. Even Zhou Shao beside her couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "This, Leng Er... is inappropriate..."

"What's wrong with that? The situation is special right now. If we don't do it this way, how can we guarantee Duan Jin's safety?"

Queyue saw Zhou Shao looking at her with a wry smile—whether or not to reveal her identity was not entirely up to him. However, Leng Yu was sharing a room with her… Leng Yu's hand was still gripping Queyue's wrist. She looked down, then looked up, about to speak, when a servant rushed in, “Dead…dead! Another dead body has been found!!”

Those pampered young masters could no longer bear to watch, and one by one they pretended to faint. Leng Yu could only immediately follow the servants to check on them, and in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted to say.

The last corpse, however, belonged to the killer.

The rope was still around his neck, and his neck bone had been twisted. This mysterious figure was indeed ruthless, but if he was a friend rather than an enemy, why was he hiding?

These corpses couldn't just be left on the estate, so Leng Yu and Zhou Shao naturally took charge of handling them. Que Yue returned to her room, lost in thought—why was there never peace wherever she was? This time, she had brought death here again. Did she truly have no peace as long as Jun Yuqing existed?

The thought of "killing" flashed through her mind. She had killed many people before, but she had never had the urge to kill anyone herself. This was the first time. But even this one and only time, she no longer had the ability to do so.

By nightfall, she had almost forgotten what Leng Yu had said. After a busy day, even Zhou Shao had forgotten, but unfortunately, Leng Yu clearly hadn't. When he carried his pillow and blanket into Que Yue's room, Que Yue—the young master who looked like Duan Jin—was once again taken aback.

It actually happened...

"Brother Leng..."

"You don't need to say anything, I'm staying here today! I can't leave you alone in the room no matter what."

...Brother, do you think little brother Liu Zhi is invisible?

Chapters 49-50

A barely perceptible rustling sound came from the roof. Leng Yu grabbed her sword and rushed out of the room. Clearly, Jun Yuqing already knew that she had found Xinyue, which was why he was so worried and sent out assassins one after another.

However, the assassin didn't enter the room—when Leng Yu chased after him, he found several figures entangled in a chaotic battle on the roof. One of them was blocking the others from leaping down from the roof, handling three opponents with ease. In the blink of an eye, he had already dealt with two of them. Seeing this, Leng Yu realized that the man was the one who had taken down the assassin yesterday, but knowing he was hiding and showing his true colors, he was no good. Seeing him take down another person, Leng Yu prepared to draw his sword and go up, but was stopped by Que Yue.

"Don't go. If they are enemies, not friends, you won't gain anything by going."

"You know Duan Jin?"

Queyue nodded slightly, "He is Blood Asura."

Since Blood Asura appeared here and stopped those assassins who were originally his fellow disciples, there is no need for further doubt. There is only one explanation: Blood Asura has already followed Jun Xiaoling.

Leng Yu stared at Duan Jin in astonishment. In his eyes, Duan Jin was merely a handsome, clean-cut, and weak young man with no physical strength, who should have a clean background and no connection to the martial world. Even if he had some entanglements with Qingzun Tower and Jun Xiaoling before, it was only a private matter. But now, suddenly, Blood Asura was involved, and it was clear that Duan Jin was no stranger to Blood Asura.

Liu Zhi, who followed him out from the next room, rolled her eyes at him, thinking he was making a fuss over nothing. As for the cold treatment he received for taking his job—Queyue was entrusted to him by Yi Moran and Adi, so her safety was naturally his responsibility—he was naturally not in a good mood about this unexpected interruption that stole his job.

Blood Asura had finished off the last person, jumped down from the roof, and walked up to Queyue. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

His respectful attitude made Leng Yu even more suspicious. Que Yue simply asked, "Did he send you?"

"Yes, Young Master Jun instructed me to ensure your safety."

Liu Zhi's eyes widened immediately—another one trying to steal her job!

Queyue reached out and ruffled Liu Zhi's hair, then asked, "Are you going to stay here?"

"yes."

Queyue gently shook her head, "Go back, he will need more help there."

Blood Asura's face was expressionless, and he said in a cold voice, "If something happens to you, there's no need for him to continue trying."

Unable to refute, the crescent moon could only acquiesce.

Leng Yu could no longer remain silent; he had been holding back his doubts for far too long. "Can anyone explain to me what's going on? Jun Xiaoling of Qingzun Tower and Xue Xiuluo? This combination really makes me want to think carefully!"

“Brother Leng…” Queyue smiled helplessly, “It’s not that I wanted to hide it from you, but once you know the inside story, I’m afraid you’ll never be able to extricate yourself from it.”

“From the moment I helped you enter Qingzun Tower, I never intended to stand aside.” Leng Yu said with certainty. Que Yue looked at him quietly for a moment, then said, “Now is indeed the time when I need help. Even though it’s just a private matter, let’s just say Duan Jin is selfish and tells Brother Leng everything… Please help me.”

In the pitch-black night, Duan Jin's slender figure, shrouded in a white robe, appeared so frail in the gentle breeze. Like a phantom under the moon, he seemed poised to vanish at any moment. At this moment, Leng Yu would grant his request, whether it be a personal matter or something else entirely. He would help him.

Liu Zhi, cold treatment, Blood Asura—perhaps on this night, or perhaps not just from this night, but from much earlier, she made a new plan. She didn't want to remain passive, constantly pressured by Jun Yuqing. Even without martial arts skills, even if she was practically a cripple, she could still use external forces to end the current situation.

Is it only by destroying Qingzun Tower that she can find peace and Adi can gain freedom?

Queyue explained the inside story of Qingzun Tower to Lengyu in detail, but avoided mentioning her own identity. As expected, the elusive Blood Asura in the martial world was actually an assassin raised by the "Number One Tower Under Heaven." This news was enough to shock and infuriate Lengyu, who was in the martial world.

That's the undisputed number one restaurant in the martial arts world!

Queyue spoke softly and slowly, “I have no intention of exposing Qingzunlou for the sake of justice or the martial world. I just want to return to a peaceful life with Adi, that is, Jun Xiaoling. I want him to leave behind the life he hates. If you are still willing to help me, then I'm afraid I will be a burden to Brother Leng in the future.”

Leng Yu couldn't quite describe the bitterness and resentment in his heart. Although he had already noticed it, hearing it from his own mouth was a different story. It was clear that Duan Jin and Jun Xiaoling were already a couple. He had risked his life to sneak into Qingzun Tower just to see Jun Xiaoling; how could he bear not to help him?

"In that case, exposing the relationship between Qingzunlou and Ange will be enough to ruin his reputation!"

"That's right, but there's no proof."

"What other proof do we need! Blood Asura himself is right here!" Leng Yu simply pulled over the taciturn older brother and pointed him out to Que Yue.

Queyue glanced at it, then said, "What can prove he is the Blood Asura? In the martial world, only the dead have ever seen the Blood Asura. If this were made public, do you think the people in the martial world would believe us, or the owner of the Number One Pavilion under Heaven?"

Speechless and unable to deny it, Leng Yu asked, "But... is that all?"

"Of course, we won't let it go like this. We must deal with Qingzunlou, but we need to carefully consider and plan our actions. We can't act rashly. Besides, although Jun Xiaoling has long been disgusted with life in Qingzunlou, he doesn't hate the place. After all, Qingzunlou is his home. We need to carefully consider how far we should go. However... I think we should wait until the new moon arrives to determine if the poison can be cured before making any further plans."

Hearing the name Xinyue, Lengyu still felt a little resentful and couldn't bring himself to face the name with equanimity.

Queyue noticed his expression. Now that she had decided to accept Lengyu's help, he and Xinyue might have to deal with Qingzunlou together in the future. She didn't want internal problems to arise before even facing the enemy. Perhaps... this was also the reason why she subconsciously concealed her identity.

"Brother Leng, you still don't want to see Xinyue?"

"No...it's nothing." He no longer had any feelings for Xinyue. From the moment he learned that Xinyue was Xiaozhuo, his heart had been completely at peace, and he had to let go. However, he didn't know how to face Xinyue—her falling out with Senior Brother Feng, Senior Brother Feng's departure...he had witnessed all of this, and he really didn't know how to face that once familiar girl.

"Brother Leng, it's getting late. You should go back to your room and rest." Perhaps at this time, he should be left alone to think things through. Queyue turned and went back to his room first. Leng Yu was about to follow without thinking much when Liu Zhi stepped in front of him, hands on her hips, blocking his way. "Our young master needs to rest. Please leave, Master Leng. I will naturally take responsibility for our young master's safety!"

"You?" The cold reception clearly indicated skepticism. He was just a lowly pageboy; what could he possibly do to protect Duan Jin?

The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down, and remained locked in a stalemate. Blood Asura didn't even glance at them, silently standing in front of the door—neither of them was to go in.

Queyue returned to her room. In the pitch black, she was about to light a candle when suddenly a pair of hands stopped her from behind. Queyue was startled, not having noticed anyone in the room at all. Just as she was about to struggle, a hand gently covered her mouth, and a warm breath was close to her ear. "It's me."

Queyue was startled; the hands had already released her. She turned around and looked at the gentle, smiling face in the darkness with surprise. "How did you get here..."

"I immediately tried to get out as soon as I heard you found Xinyue. I wanted to see for myself whether she had a way to cure the poison. If I had no other choice, I would have to stay there and wait for news... Besides, my brother seems to be quite wary of Xinyue. After he found out about the news, he seemed to be getting impatient. It would be too dangerous to leave you here."

Even Jun Yuqing has moments when he loses his composure—Queyue naturally understands very well Jun Yuqing's fear of Xinyue… He will probably never forget the first woman in the world who made him stumble.

"But now that you've come here, how could Jun Yuqing possibly let you go..."

“That’s right. As soon as he discovers I’m missing, he’ll send people over immediately—we must find a place to hide right away and wait for New Moon to arrive.”

"Now?"

"right."

"But what about Liu Zhi, Leng Yu, and Young Master Zhou..."

“We must leave first. If so many people make a move together, we will inevitably give ourselves away. Blood Asura will tell them the current situation after dawn, and then we will find another opportunity to contact them.”

Queyue knew that his actions were not wrong; rationally speaking, it was the most appropriate course of action. However, leaving without saying goodbye, and the possibility that Jun Yuqing's men might arrive too quickly to prepare for their arrival, still made her hesitate slightly.

Jun Xiaoling looked at her; his dark eyes were still gentle, yet filled with a deep, melancholy.

“Zhijin, in the two times we met before… you never called me.”

Queyue paused slightly. She hadn't called him by name before, unsure whether to address him as Adi or Jun Xiaoling. Although she knew in her heart that his heart hadn't changed... the person before her was so different from the Adi she knew. It seemed that once she spoke, the Adi of the past would vanish into thin air.

"Have I really changed so much that you don't know how to face it?"

The warmth of his hand touched her face. Queyue wanted to shake her head. She knew that no matter how much Adi changed, it was all because of her. If it weren't for her antidote, why would he go back? Why would he become the next master of Qingzun Tower, Jun Yuqing's puppet?

Sensing the intention of the crescent moon shaking its head in his palm, Jun Xiaoling smiled slightly and, without needing her to say anything, gently embraced her.

It's long since become unclear who dragged whom down, and who was supporting whom. If he hadn't saved Queyue, Queyue wouldn't have survived, but she also wouldn't have been drawn into his entanglement with Qingzunlou. If he hadn't saved Queyue, he wouldn't have found his own life, but he also wouldn't have forced himself to return to Qingzunlou. Their fates were already intertwined, merged, and could no longer be separated.

But there was one thing he dared not think about… Just the thought of Zhijin once being by Jun Yuqing's side, of Jun Yuqing possessing her yet showing no appreciation, made him want to hate. That person was his elder brother; even if their paths diverged, he didn't want to destroy everything. He didn't want to hate, yet he couldn't help but hate.

His arms tightened, and only when that slender body was truly in his embrace could he feel at ease.

Jun Xiaoling and Queyue left overnight. They didn't go far, just stopped nearby so they could contact Zhou Shao at any time. When Queyue woke up, she opened her eyes to see Jun Xiaoling sitting in a wicker chair by the bed in the morning light. His long robe was off to one side, and he was wearing a black long gown with dark gold embroidery on the belt and cuffs that shimmered in the morning light. He was flipping through a book in one hand, while his other hand rested on the bed, gently holding Queyue's hand.

The scene gave one the illusion that the tranquility before them could freeze in the morning light and last forever. Her hand twitched slightly, and Jun Xiaoling turned to her, smiling, "Awake? What would you like for breakfast? I'll make it."

These words reminded Queyue of Adi's cooking skills, which she hadn't seen in a long time, and she couldn't help but smile softly, "I'll go."

After getting up, dressing, and washing up, she noticed that this was a small inn on a secluded street in the city. It was so simple that it could almost be called shabby, with a small storefront and very little business. Jun Xiaoling had booked the entire inn and told the innkeeper to close it to the public for the next two days. She also told the waiters not to serve her and to do whatever she needed.

Queyue felt as if she had returned to her old life in the small village, and she couldn't help but relax, temporarily forgetting everything outside. Jun Xiaoling moved a stool and sat behind her, watching her with satisfaction, and said, "If Xinyue can really cure the poison in your body, let's just leave like this, go far away, and go back to the small village to continue our lives. I wonder if that courtyard is still reserved for us. So much time has passed, the old rich man's matter must be long gone by now..." Everything was just like the past, as if they had never left that place.

The crescent moon remained silent for a moment, offering no response.

Is it really that easy? Will Jun Yuqing let them go? Even if they leave and hide, how long can they stay peaceful? As long as Jun Yuqing is there, and Qingzun Tower is there, they will have to live a life of hiding.

"Adi..." She hadn't called him that name in a long time... With her back to him, staring at the spatula in her hand without turning around, she tentatively asked, "If... I wanted to get rid of Jun Yuqing..."

A heavy silence fell behind her, almost oppressive. She continued, "Could you please not stop me?"

Jun Xiaoling stood up and slowly approached, hugging her from behind and resting his head on her neck. "Don't take any risks. Are you sure you can handle everything perfectly?"

"Not yet. I won't take action until everything is in place."

"Hmm. I know you're always cautious, but... don't make me worry."

Queyue responded softly, trying to act as if a large person was hanging on her, and continued cooking. Jun Xiaoling's words were tacit approval... She hadn't asked him to turn against Jun Yuqing; as long as he was willing to stand by and do nothing, that was enough. What she wanted to destroy was his home.